by GEOFF FOX
The Hancock Police have two new vehicles that have been added to their fleet of two pickup trucks and one car – a blue car and black SUV.
The SUV is a Ford Police Interceptor while the blue car is a Ford Crown Victoria.
Hancock PD’s new Interceptor
The black Interceptor will be used primarily as an unmarked vehicle. The Crown Victory will be used as Police Chief Rich Miller’s vehicle.
The Interceptor was first brought up and budgeted for the police force during budget planning for the fiscal year 2018, however between then and now, there had been some delays in it being built and delivered.
During a special town meeting late last month, Councilman Levi Little said he had noticed a new vehicle in the parking lot at Town Hall.
Town Manager David Smith said it “showed up” after being ordered “way back when.”
Smith said the distributor gave it to the town below the 2017 quote.
The blue vehicle was recently purchased because town officials didn’t believe the Interceptor was going to be delivered.
Smith said the Interceptor was budgeted and the town would only be $3,000 over budget due to the purchase of the car.
“We were out of sync with a couple years anyhow with the fleet for a new vehicle,” Smith said. The Interceptor gets the town somewhere close to where they need to be.
Miller said the Interceptor comes with a police package that includes emergency lights and siren. A computer and radio still need to be installed.
The town’s current marked 2006 Ford Crown Victoria will be taken out of service and some of the equipment will be installed in the new SUV vehicle. The 2006 Victory has 200,000 miles on it, Miller said.
“The new Ford SUV will be used as the supervisor vehicle and will be primarily assigned to Officer [Scott] Wolff,” Miller said.
The new vehicle would be available to all officers in the event other vehicles are out of service, he added.
According to brochure information provided by Miller, the Interceptor has police calibrated intelligent all-wheel drive, which is a full-time, always active system that continually adjusts torque distribution during all conditions.
This allows the vehicle to help maximize traction in snow or rain, on ice or gravel, and even when maneuvering in dry conditions.
Miller said the newer blue unmarked Crown Victoria would be assigned to and primarily used by him.
The vehicle has 70,000 miles on it and the emergency lights and siren came equipped or were donated to the Hancock Police.
The cost of the vehicle, he said, was $3,000 with an additional $1,500 added for new tires, inspection, and general maintenance.
“It is our hope that we get years of reliable service from this vehicle,” Miller said.
